Business & Economy

3 Century City streets to be closed for labor protest

KPCC Wire Services|August 26, 2010

Avenue of the Stars, Century Park East and Constellation Boulevard in Century City will be closed from noon to 6 p.m. today because of a what organizers call a "massive march and rally" in support of recently laid off janitors.

Between 350 to 500 people are expected for the march and rally outside the Century Plaza office building that could lead to civil disobedience, according to Jacob Hay of SEIU United Service Workers West, the union organizing the protest.

Street closures for other protests have led to massive traffic congestion.

The closures "could inconvenience some people," but the janitors have to turn to protests "to get their message across," Hay told a local wire service.

"I would weigh the inconvenience of a couple of minutes being stuck in traffic versus the inconvenience of not having a job and not knowing how you're going to support your family," Hay said.

The march and rally are part of a four-day series of events that began Tuesday on behalf of 16 laid-off janitors who worked at the building, Hay said.